While the club shop may have been keen to offload surplus stock, Anderton himself, after a career spanning 18 years, over 600 games and 30 England caps, was not ready to depart without a flourish.

As parting shots go, his 88th-minute right-foot drive was one of the more spectacular. Chester manager Mark Wright, a former England team-mate, called it a "wonder strike" and it had the miracle effect of putting Bournemouth three points in credit for the first time this season.

If was a fairytale farewell but events leading up to his retirement were a little more murky. The injury-prone midfielder, who cynics nicknamed Sicknote, appeared in only half of Bournemouth's fixtures last season and has since been on a pay-as-you-play deal.

He was mysteriously stripped of the captaincy before a game against Grimsby last month and managed only five minutes as a substitute at Luton last week. But Anderton, a second-half sub again on Saturday, denied any behind-the scenes rift.

"You just try to do your best but, at 36, it was becoming much harder," he said.

The ex-Tottenham and Portsmouth player's loping stride and sweeping passes looked somewhat out of place in this League Two tussle's guileless frenzy, but flawless technique and explosive execution will win matches at any level.